Effects of powdered Montmorency tart cherry supplementation on acute endurance exercise performance in aerobically trained individuals

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine whether short-term supplementation of a powdered tart cherry supplement prior to and following stressful endurance exercise would affect markers of muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and/or muscle soreness.Methods27 endurance-trained runners or triathlete (21.8 ± 3.9 years, 15.0 ± 6.0 % body fat, 67.4 ± 11.8 kg) men (n = 18) and women (n = 9) were matched based on average reported race pace, age, body mass, and fat free mass. Subjects were randomly assigned to ingest, in a double-blind manner, capsules containing 480 mg of a rice flour placebo (P, n = 16) or powdered tart cherries [CherryPURE®] (TC, n = 11). Subjects supplemented one time daily (480 mg/day) for 10-d, including race day, up to 48-hr post-run. Subjects completed a half-marathon run (21.1 km) under 2-hr (111.98 ± 11.9 min). Fasting blood samples and quadriceps muscle soreness ratings using an algometer with a graphic pain rating scale were taken pre-run, 60-min, 24 and 48-h post-run and analyzed by MANOVA with repeated measures.ResultsSubjects in the TC group averaged 13 % faster half-marathon race finish times (p = 0.001) and tended to have smaller deviations from predicted race pace (p = 0.091) compared to P. Attenuations in TC muscle catabolic markers were reported over time for creatinine (p = 0.047), urea/blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.048), total protein (p = 0.081), and cortisol (p = 0.016) compared to P. Despite lower antioxidant activity pre-run in TC compared to P, changes from pre-run levels revealed a linear increase in antioxidant activity at 24 and 48-h of recovery in TC that was statistically different (16–39 %) from P and pre-run levels. Inflammatory markers were 47 % lower in TC compared to P over time (p = 0.053) coupled with a significant difference between groups (p = 0.017). Soreness perception between the groups was different over time in the medial quadriceps (p = 0.035) with 34 % lower pre-run soreness in TC compared to P. Over the 48-h recovery period, P changes in medial quadriceps soreness from pre-run measures were smaller compared to TC.ConclusionResults revealed that short-term supplementation of Montmorency powdered tart cherries surrounding an endurance challenge attenuated markers of muscle catabolism, reduced immune and inflammatory stress, better maintained redox balance, and increased performance in aerobically trained individuals.

Effects of montmorency tart cherry (L. Prunus Cerasus) consumption on nitric oxide biomarkers and exercise performance

“…Of the 2 studies investigating the influence of MC supplementation on exercise performance to date, 1 reported improved performance in males completing a half-marathon (21.1 km) run, as evidenced by a faster overall race pace compared to the PLA group. 19 However, as previously mentioned, there were some limitations to the study design, and therefore, these results should be interpreted with a degree of caution. While Levers et al 19 designed an experiment to assess the influence of ingesting 480 mg of powdered tart cherries for 10 days, including supplementation on race day up to 48 hour post-run, we investigated the effects of a single dose (60 mL) of MC concentrate on exercise performance using a crossover study design.…”

“…However, as previously mentioned, there were some limitations to the study design, and therefore, these results should be interpreted with a degree of caution. While Levers et al designed an experiment to assess the influence of ingesting 480 mg of powdered tart cherries for 10 days, including supplementation on race day up to 48 hour post‐run, we investigated the effects of a single dose (60 mL) of MC concentrate on exercise performance using a crossover study design. Despite the differences in dosing strategies, both studies reported improvements in performance.…”

“…Supplementation with 200 mg of dried Montmorency cherry capsules for 3 days did not improve cycling time-trial performance, heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, gross mechanical efficiency, oxygen consumption, or blood [lactate] in moderately trained cyclists (VO 2peak 52.4 ± 8.7 mL/kg/min). In contrast, when participants were supplemented with powdered tart cherry capsules for 10 days, half-marathon completion times were 13% faster than their placebo counterparts, 19 although the mechanism for this improvement remains unclear. It should be noted that the actual race pace was slower compared to the projected race pace in both groups, but the difference tended to be smaller in the tart cherry group compared to the placebo group.…”

Effects of ingesting a pre-workout dietary supplement with and without synephrine for 8 weeks on training adaptations in resistance-trained males

“…A questionnaire developed in our lab and reported in numerous previously published papers [23, 46–49] was used to assess side effects in this study. Participants completed the survey every week throughout the study to determine how well participants tolerated supplementation; how well participants followed the supplementation protocol; and, if participants experienced any symptoms during the supplementation period.…”

Selected In-Season Nutritional Strategies to Enhance Recovery for Team Sport Athletes: A Practical Overview

“…Tart cherry has been shown to reduce markers of inflammation [134], decrease perceptions of soreness [129], and improve redox balance [134] compared with placebo after exercise. Pomegranate juice has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and weakness in elbow flexors following an eccentric elbow flexion protocol [132].…”